yeah sure. it can also be the new beginning of his fall, we'll just wait and see. when Roger loses a match it turns into this whole "Is this the new beginning of Roger's decline where people gain confidence to beat him everywhere and his reign's over" thing.

Nadal's still the man to beat and I don't think this loss is all of a going to turn him into a super super superhuman sorta thing because he still is pretty much unbeatable. Wasn't there some injury business going on today? I am sure there must have been, if not injury, tiredness.

roger is no more 21, 22 n u know he ll be 27 this august n hence r those susceptible voices like "roger's going down" n all whenever he faces a defeat.......rafa is still the invincible genious on clay. ll never doubt at that......the question is, ll he realize his shortcomings(like i mentioned in some other hot thread, his reluctance to use flat forehand n all) on other surfaces as well thru this defeat? ll he realize the amount of tennis that he's playing esp on hardcourts?

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Marian Vajda to Novak Djokovic, "I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man KEPT COMING AFTER YOU! Now we don't need no man like that in our lives."

With the advice of some buddies, i ve decided to create this thread. Let all the discussions related to rafa be posted in this thread which is apt.Let the great limitaions thread remain to discuss about rafa's shortcomings.Thanks.......

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Marian Vajda to Novak Djokovic, "I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man KEPT COMING AFTER YOU! Now we don't need no man like that in our lives."

OK... Not that I'm a Nadal fan, but I will contribute to this thread. Over on the other thread there were questions about the scheduling and someone asked what did Federer think about the scheduling issue. This is what he said:

Q. Do you feel it was right when he was complaining about the clay court season being so tough? ROGER FEDERER: Rafa?

Q. Yeah. ROGER FEDERER: I did not hear him.

Q. He was complaining that he had four big tournaments this year in a row every week with no week of rest between. ROGER FEDERER: Hmm, of course it's tough. It's tough for everyone. I'm playing four tournaments as well, it's just that I placed them differently. I understand he wants to play Barcelona and try to defend his title there. It's a tough year because of the Olympic Games, but I think the problem is more maybe in Miami where they moved because of television, I think. To move, you know, Miami because of television, because I think it was the NCAA, I mean, that is rough on us. Especially on a guy like Rafa who wants to play a lot on clay. So I agree, it's not right, you know, but it's the way it is this year unfortunately, and hopefully things will be better next time.

Hope you don't mind if I changed your title just a little? You said you wanted this to be the Nadal thread for people to post "good" things about him so I added a little explanation. If you want me to remove what was added...just say the word.

Hope you don't mind if I changed your title just a little? You said you wanted this to be the Nadal thread for people to post "good" things about him so I added a little explanation. If you want me to remove what was added...just say the word.

Hope you don't mind if I changed your title just a little? You said you wanted this to be the Nadal thread for people to post "good" things about him so I added a little explanation. If you want me to remove what was added...just say the word.

Q. When did you first start feeling the problem with the foot?RAFAEL NADAL: Well, the Sunday in the night. When I wake up for 6:00 in the morning for come here, I put the foot on the floor and I can't put the foot on the floor. So I call the trainer for -- my trainer for come to the room and put something for can go to the airport, and I did.

Q. So you were in pain when you were moving, when you were running on the court, were you?RAFAEL NADAL: Well, you know, it's very difficult prepare in a match, you know. For sure Juan Carlos is a very tough opponent.So especially if you are playing Masters Series and you are not 100%, it's impossible win the matches, no? Especially in this tournament. Every match is very tough and Juan Carlos is a very good player, so congratulate him. Today I wasn't play my best tennis, so I -- the true is I didn't feel very good on court. I can't put the legs on the floor with my power. I can't put the ball long, so every time I play very short because I don't have power in the legs. Because I have this point the point behind the foot, pain, so it was tough for me to. But anyway, I happy about my attitude: try to go on court and try to try my best.

Q. Were you close to not play? Were you hesitating not to play? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, today in the morning when I wake up I say it's impossible to play, no? Later, I come here, prepare in the practice. I was in the doctor's, like yesterday and before yesterday, and they put special protection, very big protection. They put some cream, anesthetic cream, something like this, for didn't feel the same pain. Anyway, it's tough, because when the foot was inside of the -- well, I can't put the foot like this. I always went like this because I scared, no? So, you know, the calendar is impossible. Last week and in Barcelona everybody is talking about how you feel about the calendar and everything. I said for me going to be impossible four weeks in a row playing well, no? They told me, Yes, but you have already two playing very well. I said, Yes, but in a few days you going to see why it's impossible, and disappointing they going to see. Finally they see it's impossible, no? Just congratulate Juan Carlos, because this is an important win for him, I think. He's trying to go to Olympics, too, so important points for him. Just happy for him because he's a nice guy and a very good player. That's it, no? I just try to at home have some rest, and after try to go with my best feelings to Hamburg.

Q. You know that Etienne of the ATP is here. Are you going to talk to him and say the same thing you told us about the calendar, what you said in Barcelona? I know you have told him already, but do you think there is a chance that something can change, or you don't think anything will change?RAFAEL NADAL: I don't have nothing to speak with this man, no? Not more.

Q. Don't trust him? RAFAEL NADAL: Lose more time trying to fight for nothing it's very stupid, so I have -- it's stupid. Last year I have a lot of time -- lose a lot of time trying to understand why he doing these things, and he's impossible to understand. So right now it's not the moment for speak about that because I lose, and when I lose always the people think about it as an excuse for my lose. So I spoke about this in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona when I win. When I lose I don't like to speak about these things.

Q. Does this mean your participation in Hamburg is maybe under threat because of injury? RAFAEL NADAL: Hopefully no, no? Because two Masters Series without play in the best conditions on clay going to kill me, no? So I hope not.

Q. Every place where you lose you are unhappy for sure, but Rome you are more unhappy than somewhere else, or not, or all the same?RAFAEL NADAL: For sure it's very important tournament for me here. Lose here is very, very tough for me just for everything, no? For the crowd because the crowd support me a lot always. So I just can say thanks very much, because probably I won in 2005 and 2006 for the support of the crowd. So that's tough for me. Very nice for me coming back here, but at the same time, very disappointing for me to come here without my best preparation. That's true, no? Finally, I can't do more, no? I play my best and I am here. I try to prepare with my best motivation the first two days here practicing: first day twenty minutes; second day one hour but without move and without play points, without nothing. So it's very difficult to prepare for a tournament like this, no?

Q. (In Italian.) What was your feeling inside especially being used to winning so much? Was there any particular feeling that you felt losing today? RAFAEL NADAL: The feeling is, well, normally I know more than you how tough is win a lot of the matches on clay and in every surface, so I am prepared for this moment because I know already when I go on court everything can happen and I can lose every day. Right now for sure I'm disappointing because it's very important tournament for me and important because I have chances for improve in the ranking and for don't lose points and continue to improve in the race. Disappointing for me I can't be 100% and I can't win, so it was tough.

Actually it wasn't about the loss... I wanted to post Nadal's interview since he talks about his injury and everything! Hey....give me some credit! I don't hate Nadal! He's cool!

I was joking Dallas!! I could not finished to read interview, I stopped when he started to talk about the horrible De Villiers. I agree with him in every word about the calendar and I hope his injury -at the worst time- will soon be over.

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Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.

Actually it wasn't about the loss... I wanted to post Nadal's interview since he talks about his injury and everything! Hey....give me some credit! I don't hate Nadal! He's cool!

I was joking Dallas!! I could not finished to read interview, I stopped when he started to talk about the horrible De Villiers. I agree with him in every word about the calendar and I hope his injury -at the worst time- will soon be over.

For the sake of "tennis", I really do want him to get healed to be at his best. Seriously.

I don't know how to post this youtube video where you just click it, but here's the link for Rafa's famooz a@s. I only noticed yesterday how tight his pants are compared to the other guys shorts! They must be part lycra since he can really stretches out for some shots that would definitely rip the crotch (is that a bad word, crotch ) out.

I'm crazy about Rafa. He got some great compliments during the Djoker match today, they were discussing his strength of character to continue playing with the pain from his foot and completing the match.

In profile, he does have a weak chin tho'. I guess I'd better quit giving Rog a hard time because of his schnoz, Rafa's not quite perfect either.

so Rafa now gets two threads? one for his good stuff and one for herc (aka rafa's limitations)

.. I guess that's ok.

Too bad Roger can't have the Roger's limitations thread, cuz he has none Just kidding, obviously Roger's fan's just aren't as realistic enough to rip him apart for not bagel-ing everyone.

Here's a quote from Nadal, a pretty recent one I believe

"I just wanted to see how the shorts felt again ..."

and

about his fears:

"I am afraid of a lot of things. A dog. I could be afraid of a dog that's upset, for example. And on the tennis courts, maybe on the outside I look fearless, but on the inside, I'm scared. There's not one player in the world who isn't nervous before matches. Especially important matches."

and here's a for real good one:

" My ambition is to be a very, very normal guy. A very humble guy. To play tennis, which I love and want to be the best. And, when I'm done, I just want to be at home with my friends. "

That's it, no more being nice about Rafa, I just did that cuz I took a cheap shot and felt obliged to make up for it